In an October post, we informed the community about the Tri-City Herald’s project in collecting vintage photos of veterans. Now, the herald is reporting that they recieved over 400 bits of information and photos. Here is a sneak peek of what was submitted:
William J. Bair’s: “After V-E Day, we were quickly shipped from Czechoslovakia to the South Pacific where hundreds of ships had assembled for the invasion of Japan. With the atomic bombs forcing Japan’s surrender, our mission changed and we went into Japan as part of the Army of Occupation.
“Having witnessed the size of the invasion force and seen some of the preparations in Japan to defend against the invasion, I am certain that, had the invasion occurred, the casualties among the Japanese would have far exceeded the 170,000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the casualties for the invading forces also would have been astronomical.
“Ironically, after returning home and earning a Ph.D. in radiation biology at the University of Rochester School Of Medicine in 1954, I came to Hanford where much of my research was directed to understanding the health consequences of inhaling plutonium … (some of which) very likely came from the B Reactor, which produced plutonium for the Nagasaki bomb that helped save my life and hundreds of thousand others.”
Also,
“Philip Vinnedge joined the Army in September 2009 and was deployed to Afghanistan on Sept. 30, 2010. He had been there 16 days when an IED took his life. He died on Oct. 13, 2010. He was 19 years old. His parents, David and Julie Vinnedge, were raised in Connell.”
Some stories have a happy ending, while others were not so lucky. Either way it is truly amazing that our Veteran’s work to protect our country everyday. You can see the photos and stories on the Tri-City Herald’s website, or buying picking up a copy of today’s paper!
THANK YOU VETERANS!!!!!
